High school classmate Lum Adams

I recognize that I’m not exactly cheating here, but I am posting a discussion with Lum (Larry) Adams. He was a classmate in high school. He bullied me one time that I can remember but in time, and thru his wife, we are chatting. Cut and paste here to see the change and a bit of lifestyle in those days. (we graduated in 1955

I grew up with coal subject almost at a daily thing…..thing could be a better word, but I forget so much. I wouldn’t be a doc if it didn’t exist. Clarion Co, would not have existed without it. My uncle took is into mines behind a coal car pulled by a shetland pony. Carbide lantern was soon part of my clutch, used them heavily in college, exploring caves. I’ve surely written a note of my experience with the poor guy trapped in a mine and I was to help him out. Again, thank God Dad arrived. I can recall union problems when I was in high school (maybe earlier) and Dad worried of the outcome. Of course 99+ % of Dads work was related to coal. I can recall being lifted up by an old steam shovel…me in the bucket. And running a dozer being allowed to understand and use the levers. Delivering to some poor guy up across from Howard Bish’ house a full tank (big tank) of O2…and dragging it up two flights to him…blue from lack of O2…smoking a cigarette and breathing so bad it scared me. Getting the hell out of Dodge (are it were) to Tampa…away from coal. I knew it couldn’t possibly last and it was a LOT of years later that Dad accepted that truth to me. Then, get out of Tampa…a whole book in itself…back to TN..closest thing to normal life as I could get as a surgeon…to the largest coal mines in Va. The entire county, existed on Coal and tobacco. Very long story. I am happy that the tobacco thing changed (I’d like to think I had a part in it.). Wow. Commode that late in life. I wonder of the shock!! I’ve seen (honest) a 4 hole outhouse and wonder of the conversations. I do remember Lum and Abner very well. Never heard you called Buck. How is Bill managing? I’d be dead if it wasn’t Mary working on keeping me alive. Your lady has affected your life dramatically and you sure can be proud of how you are doing. I do need to add to my blog. Wish I could remember stuff. 🙂 How old was your Dad when he died? You should come sit with me by the fire sometime 😉 We’d have a Lot to talk about. Now I’m curious how you type. Both hands or two fingers? When did that change?

I can add something interesting right here. Typing changed our brains in a very positive way. Then I learned Morse code and learned to send code at a very high speed, and that caused another brain growth. Then computers came. WOW. We’re speeding toward oblivion.

One Response to High school classmate Lum Adams

Don’t know whether it’s age itself that’s making me think you’re right… that we’re speeding towards oblivion… it’s either that or the perspective that comes with age. We’ve learned that everything is relative. So maybe it’s easier to project our own oblivion on the world around us. That’s one possibility. The other, is that we’re becoming more and more insular towards the world; living in an artificial environment, not seeing anything but man made installations, the ground covered by houses, streets, and planted grass… or plastic grass; there’s some of that around too. Our minds occupied by virtual reality. Our bodies in progressive degeneration, muscles grown listless and fat while our minds exercise and become more powerful. Could it be that one of these days we’ll find ourselves completely unfit for life on this planet? We dream of robots who’ll do all the work for us. The ultimate development of tools. But it could backfire and leave us with bodies that are just too much dead weight to carry around. Read about this plan to transplant heads. How long will it be till they just cut off our heads and attach them to the computer?